Monday, May 7, 2012

Thousands of TVviewers in India----and possibly in the US too----- watched enthralled
on the morning of May 7,2012, what the Americans describe as a Town Hall
meeting between Mrs.Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State who was on a
visit to Kolkata, and some youth of the city in a historic local school
moderated by Barkha Dutt, India’s well-known TV journalist.

2.It was an exercise in grass-roots democracy in
which sections of the public have an opportunity of questioning a political
leader in public about issues of interest and concern to them. It was also an
exercise in public diplomacy in which a political leader takes advantage of the
opportunity provided by such interactions to explain his or her thinking and
views on issues of public concern.

3.The tradition of Town Hall interactions, which was
common in the initial years after the birth of the United States of America,
was revived during the presidency of Bill Clinton and is increasingly followed
by travelling US leaders during their travels inside the country as well as abroad.
It provides an opportunity to the public to assess the mettle of the leader.

4. The Town Hall meetings differ from other
gatherings and interactions in the sense that the interacting leader, who
exposes himself or herself to the public, has to answer their questions and
participate in a discussion with them without the help of aides. It is largely
an extempore interaction in which only a well-informed and articulate leader
can impress the public and carry conviction to them.

5.The format of Hillary Clinton’s Town Hall meeting
had an opening statement read out from a prepared script, a warming-up
discussion with Barkha and discussions with individuals in the audience
moderated by Barkha.

6. The success of a Town Hall gathering as an
exercise in grass-roots democracy and public diplomacy depends on the
self-confidence of the leader, who chooses to expose himself or herself to the
Town Hall, as well as of the moderator. Without a skillful moderator, who
prepares himself or herself well for the interaction and who does not allow
himself or herself to be overawed by the occasion, Town Hall meetings can prove
to be damp squibs

7.I have seen on TV many of the Town Hall meetings
of Bill and Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama and have no hesitation
in saying that Mrs.Clinton’s Kolkata Town Hall was one of the best one has
seen.

8.The US Consulate in Kolkata needs to be complimented
for requesting Barkha to moderate the Town Hall discussion. One cannot think of
any other Indian TV personality who would have had the required knowledge and
self-confidence to moderate the discussion in a manner that kept the focus on
the personality of Mrs.Clinton, her command of facts and the intelligence of
the young audience, which did not show any sign of nervousness in questioning
the visiting US leader.

9.Both Mrs.Clinton and Barkha are epitomes of
panache and poise which were evident throughout the interaction that lasted
nearly 75 minutes. I did not notice a single question –however controversial---that
was sought to be evaded by Mrs.Clinton. She was inoffensively frank and charmingly
diplomatic at the same time. Whenever her replies seemed incomplete – as on the
issue of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s opposition to foreign
direct investment in the retail trade---- Barkha politely prompted Mrs. Clinton
to come out with her mind on the issue.

10.Mrs.Clinton, Barkha and the youthful audience made
it into a scintillating exercise. One only hopes that our leaders, who tend to
be public shy and tongue-tied, watched it on the TV. Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira
Gandhi were very good in extempore interactions with the public ---whether in
urban or rural areas, whether outside their house or during their travels.

11.In my younger days I remember seeing Gandhiji
and other leaders of our Independence struggle interacting with the public. Traditions
of such interactions have disappeared from our political landscape. Our
political leaders of today---baring a few exceptions---- give the impression of
avoiding the public which put them in power.

12.It is hoped that the Town Hall meeting of
Mrs.Clinton would create in them a desire for more direct interactions with the
people. They should come out of their shell and expose themselves to the gaze
and relentless questioning of the people.